Another clear and sunny day with a light southerly breeze and temperatures reaching almost 16 degrees Celsius.
Cabin fever set in here with no-one but a few walkers along the footpath for a second day! A male Cetti's Warbler was swearing near to the Broadwater hide and Chiffchaffs singing in various spots with at least 6 noted. A pair of Stonechats were along the approach track again. More general migratory activity was visible, with a light passage of Meadow Pipits through the dunes. The pines were shedding their cones and seeds attracting mixed flocks of Linnets and Goldfinches. On the grazing marshes slightly reduced numbers of Wigeon and Brent today, with 300 and 150 respectively. A Barn Owl was hunting at the east end of Holme village early morning and a small party of 16 grumbling Pink-feet dropped in on the marsh opposite the Obs during the afternoon. Otherwise it was rather quiet again.
Moth traps produced 4 Hebrew Characters this time so that's one up on yesterday! Brimstone, Peacock and four Small Tortoiseshell was the total for butterflies, and a newt was in the pond.
Norfolk News from RARE BIRD ALERT
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Norfolk Black Redstart Cantley beet factory on coal dump viewable from footpath at 8am
Norfolk Black Redstart Cley by beach car park
Norfolk Short-eared Owl y'day Haddiscoe Marsh
Holme Bird Observatory (Header)
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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE – NOA RESERVES REMAIN CLOSED AT PRESENT All NOA reserves remain closed at present, and following the lifting of some restrictions in England we would ask our members, visitors and volunteers to be patient while this situation continues. We are still some way from being able to provide a COVID secure environment for our staff and visitors, and any changes must be gradual, cautious and enable social distancing. Broadwater Road is currently closed, and the Beach Road Car Park is also closed. We would advise that parking and toilet facilities are not yet widely available. NWT Holme Dunes, Titchwell and Snettisham RSPB reserves also remain closed, and do not yet have a date for opening their car parks and other visitor facilities. Please also bear in mind that we are now in the middle of the breeding season. Birds which have been nesting undisturbed while visitors have stayed away need this situation to continue until their young have fledged. For similar reasons affecting land managers along the North Norfolk Coast AONB, their Re-opening the Norfolk Coast Working Group is asking people not to visit at this time until organisations have had a chance to put safety measures in place for social distancing and reopen provision such as toilets and car parks. Announcements will be made by individual organisations and businesses when this is the case, so please check before you travel, and don’t come at present. NOA hopes to offer some form of access at its reserves later this summer, but it could still be some weeks away and will remain limited while we find our ‘new normal’. Please bear with us, and we thank you again for your understanding and support
